---
title: Styling
---

import CommonTicks from './_common_ticks.md'

There are a number of options to allow styling an axis. There are settings to control [grid lines](#grid-line-configuration) and [ticks](#tick-configuration).

## Grid Line Configuration

Namespace: `options.scales[scaleId].grid`, it defines options for the grid lines that run perpendicular to the axis.

| Name | Type | Scriptable | Indexable | Default | Description
| ---- | ---- | :-------------------------------: | :-----------------------------: | ------- | -----------
| `borderColor` | [`Color`](../general/colors.md) | | | | If set, used as the color of the border line. If unset, the first `color` option is resolved and used.
| `borderWidth` | `number` | | | | If set, used as the width of the border line. If unset, the first `lineWidth` option is resolved and used.
| `borderDash` | `number[]` | | | `[]` | Length and spacing of dashes on grid lines. See [MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CanvasRenderingContext2D/setLineDash).
| `borderDashOffset` | `number` | Yes | | `0.0` | Offset for line dashes. See [MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CanvasRenderingContext2D/lineDashOffset).
| `circular` | `boolean` | | | `false` | If true, gridlines are circular (on radar chart only).
| `color` | [`Color`](../general/colors.md)  | Yes | Yes | `'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)'` | The color of the grid lines. If specified as an array, the first color applies to the first grid line, the second to the second grid line, and so on.
| `display` | `boolean` | | | `true` | If false, do not display grid lines for this axis.
| `drawBorder` | `boolean` | | | `true` | If true, draw a border at the edge between the axis and the chart area.
| `drawOnChartArea` | `boolean` | | | `true` | If true, draw lines on the chart area inside the axis lines. This is useful when there are multiple axes and you need to control which grid lines are drawn.
| `drawTicks` | `boolean` | | | `true` | If true, draw lines beside the ticks in the axis area beside the chart.
| `lineWidth` | `number` | Yes | Yes | `1` | Stroke width of grid lines.
| `offset` | `boolean` | | | `false` | If true, grid lines will be shifted to be between labels. This is set to `true` for a bar chart by default.
| `tickBorderDash` | `number[]` | | | | Length and spacing of the tick mark line. If not set, defaults to the grid line `borderDash` value.
| `tickBorderDashOffset` | `number` | Yes | Yes |  | Offset for the line dash of the tick mark. If unset, defaults to the grid line `borderDashOffset` value
| `tickColor` | [`Color`](../general/colors.md) | Yes | Yes | | Color of the tick line. If unset, defaults to the grid line color.
| `tickLength` | `number` | | | `10` | Length in pixels that the grid lines will draw into the axis area.
| `tickWidth` | `number` | Yes | Yes | | Width of the tick mark in pixels. If unset, defaults to the grid line width.
| `z` | `number` | | | `0` | z-index of gridline layer. Values &lt;= 0 are drawn under datasets, &gt; 0 on top.

The scriptable context is described in [Options](../general/options.md#tick) section.

## Tick Configuration

<CommonTicks />

The scriptable context is described in [Options](../general/options.md#tick) section.

## Major Tick Configuration

Namespace: `options.scales[scaleId].ticks.major`, it defines options for the major tick marks that are generated by the axis.

| Name | Type | Default | Description
| ---- | ---- | ------- | -----------
| `enabled` | `boolean` | `false` | If true, major ticks are generated. A major tick will affect autoskipping and `major` will be defined on ticks in the scriptable options context.
